Poisoning 66-year-old former Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia March 4 with a powerful VX-like nerve agent in Salisbury, U.K., the Kremlin continues its denials. Kremlin officials tried their best to divide the U.K. and European Union, demanding British authorities produce evidence of the poisoning. But with past radioactive poisoning assassination of Alexander Litvinenko Nov. 23, 2006, the British government has every reason to finger Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite the empty denials. No one doubts the Kremlin’s reach in dealing with former spies seeking asylum in Western countries. What British Prime Minister Theresa May wants the Kremlin to understand is that there are consequences to targeted assassination or attempts on British soil. Putin hoped to split the EU from the U.K., knowing the tensions from Britain’s June 23, 2016 Brexit vote.
No matter how complicated the breakup with the U.K., the EU puts its foot down with Putin on alleged Russian assassination attempts in Salisbury. “In solidarity with our British partners, we have today notified the Russian authorities of our decision to expel four Russian personnel with diplomatic status from French territory within one week,” announced French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. France was the first of many upcoming expulsions for Russian diplomats believed operating in EU countries as spies. EU President Donald Tusk confirmed that 14 other EU countries would also expel Russian diplomats in coming days. “The response will be symmetrical. We will work on it in coming days and will respond to every country in turn,” the RIA news cited an unnamed Foreign Ministry source. Russia can’t respond in kind because its just one country, not a bloc of nations.
Putin never got his comeuppance for invading Crimea March 1, 2014, refusing to give back Ukraine once inch of seized territory. Nor has the Kremlin ever given back any sovereign land seizing Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia Aug. 7, 2008. Moscow seems content under strongman Putin to bully any nation he sees vulnerable, prompting grave concerns in Poland and the Baltic States. Polish and Baltic authorities worry that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] hasn’t been strong enough to stop Russia from pursuing its territorial ambitions. Showing solidarity with the U.K. and EU, the U.S. announced today it would expel another 60 Russian diplomats, closing the Russian Seattle consulate. Trump surprised his critics expelling more Russian diplomats, despite the media saying that he’s in bed with the Kremlin. British officials acknowledged the international support for the poisoning incident.
Kremlin officials have the knee-jerk response to deny targeted assassination attempts, knowing how they violate state sovereignty. British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson thanked the international community. “Today’s extraordinary international response by our allies stands in history as the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers ever and will help defend our shared security,” said Johnson, escalating the tension with Kremlin. Putin typically reacts to international pressure by denying any wrongdoing, but, more importantly, acting like the Kremlin’s the victim. Calling British, EU and U.S. actions “a provocative gesture,” the Foreign Ministry delivered a veiled threat to the Western bloc. Expelling more Russian diplomats from the U.N., U.S. officials made clear that it stands by the U.K and EU in responding to Russian encroachment on national sovereignty.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova revealed openly the Kremlin’s attempt to divide Britain and the European Union. “Britain is leaving the European family. No one cancelled Brexit, and the divorce process is in full swing,” Zakharova wrote on Facebook. Whatever the arrangement the EU and Britain make has nothing to do with Kremlin, yet Russian authorities seem fixated on everything that goes on in the West. “To the Russian government we say: When you attack our friends, you will face consequences,” said an unnamed U.S. official Zakharova demonstrates the skill at which Russian officials use propaganda and disinformation in conducting every business. Why should Zakharova be commenting on Brexit, other than taking another opportunity to weaken the Western alliance? Russian propaganda and disinformation should be commonplace by now to all.
Demonstrating that the Western alliance has pulled together after the Skripal poisoning case, the Russian response reveals openly the extent of Russian infiltration into the Western alliance. “Therefore a country which is leaving the European Union is exploiting the solidarity factor is foisting on those countries that remain a worsening of relations with Russia,” said Zakharova, exposing for all to see the Russian disinformation campaign in full swing. If you listen to Zakharova, you’d think the U.K should apologize for daring to accuse the Kremlin of wrongdoing. Whatever relations the U.K has with the EU or U.S. is of no consequence to Moscow. Zakharova’s admission shows for all to see the Kremlin’s machinations over infiltrating Western nations. “The world’s patience is rather wearing thin with President Putin sand his actions,” said British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson.
